The one thing most people know about Ealing is that it is the home of the film studios famous for the Ealing Comedies of the 1940's and 1950's such as "Kind Hearts & Coronets", "The Lavender Hill Mob", "The Titfield Thunderbolt" and "The Ladykillers". But I knew it in the 1970's as the BBC's Television Film Studios ("TFS" in the BBC vernacular) where many complete programmes or inserts were made using 16mm film, before it was supplanted by video recording. My post in the BBC between 1973 and 1978 took me to TFS from time to time as I had responsibility for young trainees at the end of their induction course, and I well remember the forbidding courtyard of Colditz castle recreated in one of the studios for a series about the infamous prisoner of war camp there during the second world war.
I think TFS had a certain charm, but some saw it as a bit of a backwater and didn't want to be posted there. Perhaps that’s what prompted the question asked by one member of a group I was showing round "…how many work here?" to which our host replied "about half."
The Red Lion pub just across the road from the studios was so popular with everybody that worked there that it was dubbed "Stage 6" and sports a sign to that effect to this day, though almost hidden behind the hanging basket to the left of the door. (Film studios referred to "Stages" rather than Studios, and there were at one time five stages at Ealing). There is also a plaque on the wall of the pub giving more details of the association between pub and studios.
Saint Mary’s Church, Perivale
This tiny church in Perivale dates from the 12th Century. It became redundant in 1972 and is now used as a venue for Music and Arts Events.
Ealing Club
Right opposite Ealing Broadway Station and easily overlooked is what was at one time known as Ealing Club - now The Red Room. This insignificant looking venue is credited with being the birthplace of British Rhythm & Blues, after a gig by Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies on 17th March 1962.
The Rolling Stones played here as did Eric Burdon, Manfred Mann, Rod Stewart and The Who.
Provisional plans for redevelopment of this area have just been published (March 2022) ahead of any planning application.
Waitrose
You may be surprised to learn that there is a connection between the Waitrose shops (West Ealing Supermarket shown below) and the rather nondescript shop seen to the left! In fact the very first shop in the chain which became Waitrose, was opened by Messrs Waite, Rose and Taylor, here on Acton Hill, in 1904. Further shops were added to the chain, which was taken over by the John Lewis Partnership in 1937.
The bronze plaque shown below is set into the pavement in front of the shop to mark the event
Three Bridges
This unique structure carries the Grand union Canal over the Brentford branch railway, and Windmill Lane in turn over the canal. The original bridge carrying the lane over the canal would have been built in the 1790's when the canal was cut, with the triple form being created when the railway was built in the late 1850's.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the engineer for construction of the branch and thus responsible for the bridge design. It was his last project as he died shortly after the bridge was completed 1850's.
Pitzhanger Manor
Pitzhanger Manor was the country home of the architect Sir John Soane and was largely rebuilt to his designs between 1800 and 1804. He intended it to be a showcase of his work as well as a residence, but he sold the house in 1810 and concentrated on his town house at Lincoln's Inn Fields. It was sold to Ealing Council in 1900 and was the home of Ealing's public library until 1985, after which it became a heritage attraction that later hosted exhibitions of modern art as well as other cultural events. From 2015 it underwent major refurbishment to restore Soane's original designs and is now open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday each week.
Beyond the house's own gardens lies the public Walpole Park which once formed part of the grounds of Pitzhanger Manor. The landscape and features of the park and gardens were also restored to how they were in Sir John Soane's time during restoration in 2013.
The view below shows the rear of the house as seen from Walpole Park.
The park is a popular area for exercise and general recreation, and is also the venue for the Ealing summer festivals, which include Comedy, Blues and Jazz plus other events during the summer holidays.
